There will be more public consultation on a new multi-purpose, youth sports field and parade ground east of Military Heritage Park, along Barrie’s Lakeshore Drive.
But to what end is the question.
Arnie Ivsins, who lives on nearby Alfred Street, says dialogue with residents should have come sooner.
“The public consultations should have happened prior to the May 8 general committee meeting,” he said. “As I stated in my (May 15 council) deputation, the bottom line is I am not opposed to a multi-use synthetic field in Barrie, just not on the waterfront.”
Ivsins said the big decisions have already been made: “The public consultation will consist of how many parking spots should we put in? Where should the $5,000 picnic tables go? Should the lights be turned off at 9 p.m. or 10 p.m.?”
City council essentially approved the youth sports field project May 15, along with an addition to the newly named General John Hayter Southshore Community Centre, for the Sea Cadets’ new home.
A permit is required from Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority (LSRCA), because its regulated area crosses the sports field’s top portion. An archaeological assessment is also needed.
The synthetic turf field will be for soccer, rugby, football and lacrosse, and include such amenities as lighting, benches and site furnishings.
Also to include parade grounds, it will measure 100-by-154 metres in size, with the Southshore addition being 600 square metres. They carry a combined cost of approximately $9.15 million to build.
Coun. Gary Harvey noted city staff said that public consultation would include a public information session, with feedback.
“A survey could be another avenue, however usually response to surveys is only two to three per cent,” he said Thursday. “I would expect that (public consultation) would happen soon, within the next month or two.”
Coun. Amy Courser asked at the May 15 council meeting that a decision on the field be deferred until public consultation could be undertaken, at a cost of up to $5,000.
“We’ve heard from many people that there was not proper communication on this issue,” she said. “I think we have all been inundated by correspondence from residents that are confused on the rationale. The sports field for many kind of came out of the blue.”
Coun. Jim Harris, who represents this part of Barrie, agreed.
“One of the surprises was that staff didn’t have time for the consultation (of the general public),” he said. “If it had been done, I think it would have been a better outcome for all of us.”
But Coun. Sergio Morales said — and Michelle Banfield, the city’s executive director of development services, backed him up — that public consultation of this kind can still occur after the decision has been made in the form of an open house.
Coun. Bryn Hamilton questioned whether the answers residents want are available at this time.
“I think we could host two, three or four nights and we still wouldn’t reach a consensus where everyone would be happy,” she said. “My concern with more and more consultation is we still have unanswered questions.”
The Ward 10 councillor mentioned LSRCA permits, Indigenous, archaeological considerations, ecological impact, etc.
“I’m not sure we’ll be able to offer much more to our residents,” Hamilton said. “We’re approving a concept to guide the planning, the design, the construction …there are so many more steps that have to be taken.”
Courser’s motion for deferral was defeated.
There is a change.org petition to ‘say no to developing a multi-use sports field and parade grounds at the south shore and Allandale Park,' with 3,169 signatures as of Friday morning.
There is also a change.org petition that the ‘Navy League Barrie petitions the City of Barrie for a multi-use facility on Kempenfelt Bay’ with 2,046 signatures, again as of Friday morning.
This property east of Military Heritage Park is zoned and designated open space (OS), which permits the development of a multi-purpose sports field. Accessory uses permitted in OS zoning include bleachers, a club house, a concession stand, and a refreshment pavilion or booth. Parking is also permitted within OS zoning. A paved asphalt, 35-stall parking lot is proposed for the sports field.
The sports field/parade grounds could also mean other changes.
A stand of Vimy Ridge oak trees, planted in Allandale Station Park in 2017 to mark the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge, could be relocated closer to Military Heritage Park to accommodate a proposed multi-purpose field. The young trees are descendants of acorns gathered after the battle and are significant to the local park.
From the date of project approval by council to project completion, the proposed sports field project requires a minimum of 16 months to build, including the winter season.
The project includes a premium synthetic turf, multi-purpose sports field concept, and is estimated to cost $4.6 million. The funding would come from three city reserves — development charges, tax capital and cash-in-lieu of parkland.
The cost of replacing a synthetic turf field is projected, for a 10-year cycle, at $1,339,800 for the turf itself, shock pad and line markings.
Not included in the project is a permanent washroom/change room facility, with an estimated cost of $650,000 to $1 million.
The Sea Cadets, long located near the Spirit Catcher, would move to a 600-sq.-m. addition to the General John Hayter Southshore Community Centre, a northerly extension to the basement of the existing building, which comes with a $4.55-million price tag.
At this point, $300,000 has been committed for the addition’s plan and design. City staff would report back to councillors for future construction funding approval, once costing is refined through the design process.
Navy League branch president Diane Chislett has said the Sea Cadets have been looking for a new facility for about 40 years, and the multi-purpose field would allow parades outside by the military park, and outdoor graduations.
An addition to the north side of the Southshore building would also result in an expanded upper-patio area. This could be a significant benefit to the rental space on the upper floor, as weddings and other events would have the added use of a large patio, with the backdrop of Kempenfelt Bay.
The location for the proposed addition is approximately five metres above the lake elevation. The increased slope to be introduced between the proposed Southshore expansion and Kempenfelt Bay is significant, according to city staff, and the detailed design will need to accommodate lake access and the transportation of boats between the lake and the building.
The Barrie Canoe and Kayak Club, and the Barrie Rowing Club, each occupy space on the lower level of the Southshore Centre, with access to Kempenfelt Bay on the north side of the building. The space is primarily utilized as storage for canoes, kayaks and boats. A floating dock, which is shared between the two groups, is accessed by an asphalt path.
The Rotary Club of Barrie and the Rotary Club of Barrie Huronia occupy the upper level on the south side of the community centre for their regular meetings.
This space is primarily utilized to host a variety of community events, social functions and organization meetings.
